Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to Tulane’s Study Abroad Blog!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! One more week of working hard in classes until a well-deserved break.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Now is the time to register for classes! Are you studying abroad in the fall semester? Consider registering for COLQ 3050-01 Global Cultural Awareness: Preparing to Study Abroad. This is the first course is to be taken before studying abroad and is the first in a series of three 1-credit courses that meets once a week on Wednesdays from 3-5 from March 8-April 12th and will help you capitalize on your study abroad experiences, set up an internship, service, or "wild card" experience abroad, and help you learn the skills in intercultural communication to put you on track for an international career. For more information contact Prof. Annie Gibson agibson3@tulane.edu.

For full size click here.

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Want to study abroad in Cuba during the Fall of 2017? Attend this info session on November 21st at 3:00 PM, during our weekly Global Cafe!

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The Annual "Pot Luck" Thanksgiving Dinner is sponsored by The Office for International Students and Scholars and the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The dinner began as a means to provide a place for those international students who do not have a place to go for a Thanksgiving Dinner or who have never experienced an American Thanksgiving tradition and has sense expanded to include in any interested Tulanian who wishes to share in the experience of Thanksgiving with the Tulane community.

The Thanksgiving Dinner is traditionally held the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving Day. Students, faculty and staff bring specialty dishes as additions to the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Faculty and staff volunteer to serve the meal and an average of 800 people participate in the feast every year.

To volunteer for the event, please e-mail oma@tulane.edu or go here.

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POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Students participating in programs abroad often encounter host country nationals who are curious about our political system and very clued in to current events taking place in United States politics. One way to engage meaningfully with locals is to be informed about our political process and the different viewpoints of major and minor parties in our country. Make sure you are informed!

Here are some resources to start brushing up on your knowledge of politics in the U.S.

Overview of USA Political System

US Political Parties

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Come to this Q&A with Professor Brian Brox to learn about the impact of this election on your international experiences.

This Q&A information session with Political Science Professor Brian Brox will discuss the U.S. political system, the way it typically functions in presidential transitions, and to answer any questions you may have about what might come next, what impacts the transition could have on immigration, our international student community, travel, and even your upcoming semester abroad.

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JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS

Interested in becoming more involved with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival? The Cultural Exchange Pavilion team is hiring a Spanish-speaking intern to assist with translation and interpretation in preparation for the festival. More details provided in the attached image:
Applicants may forward their resume to International@nojazzfest.com and cepadmin@nojazzfest.com.

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Looking for an internship next spring? The Latin American News Digest is hiring! This is a great opportunity for students to learn about Latin American events while writing for the Digest! Check out this link for more info.

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Are you graduating this year and not sure what your next step is? Spend a year studying, interning and living in Germany through the Cultural Vista's Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals! For more info, click here.

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Are you in pursuit of a career that utilizes your international experiences? Carpe Diem, based in Portland, Oregon, is an organization looking to hire program directors for their student trips. Check out this job description if you are interested: Page 1, Page 2

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INTERESTING READS

Read this article, "Optimizing your International Experience for Career Success", to learn how your study abroad experiences can benefit your future career, and other ways to make yourself competitive for international jobs!

A Year in the Life of a Study Abroad Applicant - Part VI: Registration for the upcoming semester before study abroad!

Hey Tulane! 

Happy start to the holiday season! It’s already nearing the end of the semester, which means that everyone is starting to plan their schedules for the spring as registration approaches. For me, spring registration means that I need to start thinking seriously about what classes I want to take before, during, and after my time abroad. According to my advisors, I should plan carefully because it’s possible that some of my major or minor requirements will not be available where I study. So, even if a course is normally taken during junior year, I might need to see if I can take it this spring or even senior year after I get back. I also don’t want to schedule something this spring at Tulane if I can find a version of it abroad…if you're planning to study abroad, you might be thinking what I'm thinking...

How do I even begin?

Well, good news! I've talked to everyone in the know to come up with some pretty basic steps that can get you (and me!) started. 

Based on some advice from different advisors, I began by using an exploratory degree audit (available to all of us in trusty Gibson) to look at my major and minor requirements. By identifying what classes I still need to take, I can analyze what should be taken next semester before I go abroad. I know that I want to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, and I saw that Tulane requires students to enroll in a Spanish class the semester prior to going abroad, so I’ll definitely prioritize fitting that in.

My next step was to identify the classes that I could potentially get credit for while abroad. I’ve heard that many students take their elective courses during this time, because it is easier to get transfer credit. Most university websites provide listings of what classes they offer, and you can always email the professors for sample syllabi. However, the best indication of what you can get credit for is by talking to your major advisor. I just had a meeting with my major advisor this week, and she told me that my department will only accept two classes worth of credit from abroad. Good to know!

The study abroad office also updates the courses that students have taken in the past on their website. If you are having a hard time finding courses on the foreign university site, just go to the program brochure page on Tulane’s OSA site and look for the link, “Courses students have taken.” For example, here is a list of all the courses students have taken at the University of Sydney, just to give you an idea.  

Also, don’t forget your Newcomb-Tulane College requirements! Tulane has a 120 credit hour requirement for all students, which will probably be more than what is required for your majors/minors. In addition, before you study abroad, you have to complete the first tier of your core curriculum requirements. You should be able to see your progress in your degree audit and, if not, you can definitely ask an advisor. If you still have some of those to get out of the way, it might be a good idea to sign up for them this spring!

You want to make sure that you can study abroad when it works for you and graduate on time, so it is ESSENTIAL to plan these things beforehand.

I definitely used some of the resources here on campus – the people! I met with my academic advisor, study abroad advisor and major advisor to plan for next semester’s registration. Here’s a breakdown of what kinds of questions you can ask these folks: 

Academic Advisor: Your academic advisor is your go-to person for all schedule-planning. They help you when picking your classes, and are the people who make sure you graduate when you plan to. Academic advisors must also sign off that they approve of your study abroad plans, so it is important to meet with them before you apply.

Study Abroad Advisor: This advisor’s role is to assist you throughout your entire study-abroad process. From helping you to understand the policies and procedures for study abroad, finding a program or helping you set achievable goals for your international experience (and preparing you to go!), the folks in the study abroad office are ready to help!

Major Advisor: Like I said before, your major advisor can help you figure out which classes you should take abroad, and also explain the process for getting major credit for the classes that you take abroad. Once you have narrowed down which program you are interested in applying for, you can look at the classes you are interested in, and then ask your advisor about the potential of getting credit.

I'm also planning to take a course offered by the study abroad office, COLQ-3050: Global Cultural Awareness, to help me capitalize on study abroad and even set up an internship while I'm abroad. The course takes place during the last eight weeks of the semester, and connects study abroad students who are going all over the world. If you might be interested but aren't sure, just send an email to the professor, Annie Gibson. 

Soooo, as I begin to plan my schedule for the spring, these are the things I’ve been thinking about and working on. Back in August, this whole thing seemed so far away, but now I’m realizing that I can start filling out the application as soon as I’ve finished my schedule for next semester. It’s so exciting to think that in less than one year, I’ll be taking my classes in Spanish on the other side of the world! 

Weekly Newsletter

Hello Tulane!

Hopefully everyone is working hard in their classes, and excitedly preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Events coming up: 

We’ve got some important events coming up for those students studying abroad in the Spring of 2017. The Study Abroad Office is holding Regional Pre-Departure Orientation Sessions next week. Attend to develop skills for intercultural communication, learn pertinent knowledge about transitioning into your homestay, and get first-hand advice from students returning from your program and international students from that country! 

For more information, access the events below:

Africa

Australia or New Zealand

Europe

Latin America
Asia

International Engagement Opportunities: 

Now is the time to register for classes! Are you studying abroad in the fall semester? Consider registering for COLQ-3050: Global Cultural Awareness in spring 2017 to help you capitalize on your study abroad experiences and set up an internship while you are abroad next fall.

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The deadline for the Critical Language Scholar Program is coming up! Have you ever wanted to learn a critical language, but never had the opportunity? Are you interested in becoming more competitive in the job market? Check out this amazing program offered by the U.S. Department of State

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Interested in becoming more involved with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival? The Cultural Exchange Pavilion team is hiring a Spanish-speaking intern to assist with translation and interpretation in preparation for the festival. More details provided here. 

Applicants may forward their resume to International@nojazzfest.com and cepadmin@nojazzfest.com. 

Interesting Reads: 

This is a shoutout to Rae Robey, a Tulane student who published an article during her time on the CIEE program in Seville, Spain. The article, published in CIEE's magazine Mas y Menos, describes the lives of first generation Chinese students in Spain, and the blend between their Chinese heritage and the Western culture in which they live. Congrats Rae! 

Ouni Zhang outside of Hiper Oriente

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The ability to study abroad is an amazing gift, and one that Tulane students do not take lightly! Read this inspiring story about a Tulane alumna who received a scholarship to study abroad while in school, and then decided years later to create her own scholarship for future study abroad participants. 

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Anthony Bourdain, interviewed recently on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross, reflects on the challenges of being an in-tune, culturally aware traveler. When offered an unsavory piece of an animal to eat (check out the interview to see what) while in a village in Namibia, Bourdain accepted even though the food wasn't the most, let's say, appetizing. Among other things in this interview, he describes why it's so important to take stock of the situation and the importance of the gesture rather than declining the offer: "What am I going to do, refuse him, embarrass him in front of his people, look ungrateful? That changes the whole tenor of the relationship. Find the full interview on NPR's website:

Weekly Events: 

Come meet internationally-minded Tulanians at our weekly Global Cafe: 

This is a great opportunity to interact with international students, returned study abroad students, study abroad advisors, and internationally-minded Tulane faculty and staff. Come join us for coffee desserts every Monday from 3-5 pm in the Pederson Lobby of the LBC!